For Now
by buildmeapyramid
Summary: "One day, Merlin will lope in with that oddly elegant, tripping gait of his that never fails to irk Arthur, and he'll flash a smile at his professor that makes the world slow down and speed up at the same time, a smile made of pink lips and too-white teeth and knowing blue eyes, and Arthur will need." Fluff, professor!Arthur, PWP, drabble, slash, Merthur, weird tense, rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: After having this half-written doc floating around on my laptop, I've finally gotten round to finishing it. It's in a drabble-esque format, and I'll be posting two at a time every other day (or at least, that's the plan). Hope you enjoy!**

**Warnings: Professor!Arthur and student!Merlin relationship, future tense (if you're bothered by that), philosophy talk, boy-on-boy sexin', and a hell of a lot of references to the gloriousness of Merlin's mouth (just because it's completely UNF). Unbeta'd except for a friend who read it and squealed a lot and possibly laid on the floor for a few minutes for unknown reasons.**

**Disclaimer: I own my own fantasies and a laptop, nothing more.**

* * *

They will meet in the non-fiction section at Foyles.

Arthur will smile at the dark-haired boy, because his thin, too-long arms are weighed down by the works of Hume and Rousseau and Golding, and no one should be able to look so incredibly serious and comical at the same time. He will watch as the youth, with clumsy, loping strides, wanders off toward the cafe, and he will follow him with his eyes, smiling to himself.

The boy will pile himself and his books into an overstuffed chair and tuck his legs underneath him, eyes going bluer and bluer the more he reads, and Arthur will leave, the boy a pleasant, idle memory already edged aside by other thoughts. It will be easy to forget him.

* * *

They will meet again on a street just past the market, and the boy's arms will be overflowing with books once more, cheeks pink from the wind and lips chapped. His black hair will stick to his forehead and his eyes will snap blue and clear, and Arthur will be enchanted.

The boy will stumble, legs tripping and bending in ways they shouldn't, and he will land with a muffled squeak on the pavement amidst his books. Arthur will try to keep from laughing, but he won't succeed, and the boy will look at him strangely as Arthur gathers up the volumes and helps him to his feet, chuckling to himself. He will walk on, and the boy will frown a little, gaze lingering too long on tousled blond hair and shoulders covered in faded blue wool, before going on his way.


	2. Chapter 2

It will be nearly a year before they see each other again. Arthur will be teaching a class on ethics, and the boy will tumble in, a bag slung over his bony shoulder, layered in what looks to be a jacket, a hoodie, and a thick red scarf that makes him look even more gangly and boyish. Arthur will smirk to himself as he stumbles into a desk, mumbling an apology as he veers past to find a spot of his own. His hair has grown long and wild, but he'll look impossibly young next to his peers, all pale skin and too-big clothing and an insolent red mouth that looks made for kissing and smarting off.

Arthur won't catch the boy's eyes going wide and startled upon sighting him, or the way he reaches up to tug self-consciously at his collar; he will be looking down at his notes, thoughts of his new student set aside for a time, and he won't be bothered that the boy is in his class.

At least, not for now.

xxx

The boy—Merlin is his name, Arthur discovers—will not make it easy on himself. He will be hot-tempered, and rude, and infuriating at every turn. He will never make it to class on time; he will prop his muddy shoes on top of his desk and wrap those maddeningly pink lips around his pencil and chew with small flashes of white-white teeth; he will tap those long, slender fingers against the wood in a way that aggravates Arthur beyond belief. He will make Arthur_ crazy_ just by showing up to class with his absurdly attractive face and uncoordinated limbs.

Arthur will tell himself the boy was simply born to annoy his elders, will tell himself that Merlin really is a smug, irritating brat of a boy who doesn't know his place.

But sometimes, when he is alone and shameless in his apartment and it is a very dark, very quiet part of the night, he will think of those pink lips and slender fingers and he will slip a hand down to grasp his cock, and he will allow himself to wonder just what sounds might come out of that red-ripe mouth, what things he might say to make him shiver and come undone.

And when he is done, sticky and sweaty and sated, he will shake his head and tell himself _never again_. But it's still no use.


	3. Chapter 3

One day, Merlin will lope in with that oddly elegant, tripping gait of his that never fails to irk Arthur, and he'll flash a smile at his professor that makes the world slow down and speed up at the same time, a smile made of pink lips and too-white teeth and knowing blue eyes, and Arthur will _need_.

And after class, Merlin will linger at his seat, gathering his things with agonizing care, and Arthur's toes will curl in his shoes and his fingers will clench white around a pen as he watches the other students' procession out the door.

Merlin will look up just as the last student makes his exit, and his eyes will be strange, a mixture of want and hesitation, and his lips will part red and tempting, and Arthur will cave.

* * *

He'll push out of his chair and his feet will sound heavy-loud in the quiet of the room, and Merlin will have only a moment to be surprised before Arthur has a hold of him, has his hands fisted in that messy dark hair, has a taste of that insufferably decadent mouth. Merlin will groan wildly against him, slender fingers sliding smooth and hot over the strip of skin above Arthur's trousers, and his mouth will open wide and willing for Arthur to devour.

He'll end up pressed against the wall, because the desk would never do for Arthur's purposes, and his neck will soon bloom with the bruises left by Arthur's teeth. His layers will be gradually stripped away, until he's arching into the suck of Arthur's mouth against a nipple, until his fingers are gripping tight to Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur won't tease him, won't make him wait. He'll be too eager, too desperate to see Merlin lose control. He'll slip a hand inside the boy's trousers, take his mouth in a slow, hungry kiss, and then he'll watch his eyes go hazy and summer-sky blue with pleasure, watch his skin flush and his lips part breathless and sin-red as he jerks, comes with a low, keening cry that drives Arthur _mad_.


	4. Chapter 4

They'll be awkward for a time. Arthur will feel guilty and Merlin will feel embarrassed, and they won't look each other in the eye until after winter break, when cozy family dinners and distance will clear their heads and their hearts.

Merlin will be the first to make a move. He'll have new classes, new professors, and no reason to be leaning against Arthur's office doorframe with a red scarf bundled around a pale face tinted pink with cold. He'll chew on a bottom lip until it's berry-dark with blood, and Arthur will be unable to look away, unable to stop himself from stepping around his desk and taking that sinful mouth to his own. Merlin will smirk against him and vaguely, in some forgotten corner of his brain, Arthur will hear the click of the door closing and locking.

* * *

Eventually, Arthur will allow himself to be happy. Merlin will keep him on his toes with his snark and his creative methods of getting off, and Arthur's most-often worn expression will become one of fond exasperation.

They will meet at various coffee shops around town for a month or two, which will usually end with clothing littering the floorboards of Arthur's car while he presses Merlin into the backseat and smears kisses and marks down his front until he's gasping and scrabbling against the foggy windows for something to hold onto.

Later, Arthur won't be able to look at the backseat—be it as he loads up groceries or simply checks his rearview mirror—without getting hard.


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin will be the one to suggest it first. Arthur will blink a few times, surprised and pleased, before dragging him off to the bathroom of the café for a hard yes-please kiss. Merlin will smirk and trace patterns down his side before slipping slim, nimble fingers into his pocket and pulling away with Arthur's keys dangling from his pinky.

It won't take long to get to the apartment, but by the time they've parked, Arthur will be nearly ready to bend Merlin across his porch rail, neighbors and security cameras be damned.

Merlin will smirk at him with those absurdly white teeth and those absurdly blue eyes, and Arthur will have trouble getting the key in the lock instead of stabbing the door.

xxx

When the key finally makes its way into the lock, Merlin will take all of two seconds to pull Arthur inside and crowd him against the wall in the entry, long fingers plucking at Arthur's shirt and mouth pressing wet and hot against his pulse point, tongue flicking out to taste. Arthur will close his eyes and groan, hand going up to clutch at the coat rack on his right, tearing at jumpers and scarves and hats until the entry floor is covered in them.

Merlin will be all hot breath and teasing lips the color of sin, and Arthur will growl the most obscene filth as those lips wrap around him, eyes hooded and hazy as he sucks. It won't take long—as usual—and when Arthur comes back down, it will be to find Merlin darting out a pink tongue to catch the come smearing the corner of his mouth.

Arthur won't be able to help himself then.


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin likes to be in charge, Arthur will soon discover. Sometimes he'll be bossy, but Arthur will find that he likes that. Merlin will straddle him on the couch when Arthur is watching the evening news, and when he whispers into his ear to turn it off, Arthur will do as he says, because that whisper promises lovely, dirty things will happen if he obeys. Merlin will tie his wrists with his own hideous checkered ties, kiss him slow and filthy, and Arthur will be helpless underneath him. Merlin will bend over his table in the morning while he makes his tea, climb into the shower with him and make Arthur's feet slip as he fucks Merlin against the tiles, drape himself across Arthur's paper-strewn desk with spread legs and a look that could set ice on fire.

Yes, Merlin likes to be in charge. Arthur will find this out very quickly. Merlin likes to be fucked on the kitchen counter, against the front door, against the pantry shelves, in the shower, on the living room rug, on the living room floor, on the bathroom floor, against the bathroom sink. He likes to lay Arthur down on his big bed and take his time, tangle his fingers with Arthur and pin him down while he rides him. He likes to drown him in slow, lazy kisses and harsh, stinging bites while he moves over Arthur. He will make Arthur wonder why he never thought of fucking against the piano, and he will smirk at Arthur when he sees him on campus because Arthur can still feel the bruises throb from the black-and-white keys digging into his back while Merlin writhed on his lap.

Arthur won't mind.

* * *

It will take three years for them to move in together, and three more before Merlin tells him to quit being rude and give him a damn ring already. Arthur will still be smitten and Merlin will still fuck him against the piano, and Arthur won't wear ties to class anymore because he doesn't want to think about being tied to his bedframe while lecturing about civil disobedience to his sophomore class.

Eventually, they will adopt a dog and a Persian cat who likes to sleep in the bathtub. Eventually, they will stop fucking long enough for Merlin to get his nursing degree. Eventually, they will decide that a dark-eyed little girl obsessed with crayons and Postman Pat is worth trading table sex for highchairs and plates shaped like pandas and frogs.

Eventually, they will find each other.

But for now, Arthur is an ethics professor living quietly, and Merlin is a student with too many books and too little coordination.

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**Well that's it! I hope you've enjoyed this little fic; I certainly had indecent amounts of fun writing it. Merlin and Arthur are just gorgeous together, in my opinion.**  
**Thank you for reading! xoxo**


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